Back at the All-Star Game, David Stern and the owners submitted a proposal that the players dismissed out of hand. It called for a hard salary cap, no guaranteed contracts, plus lower maximum contracts with shorter durations.

In June, Billy Hunter (executive director of the Players Association) and the players submitted an offer that they themselves admitted was pretty much keeping the status quo.

The two sides remain miles apart. And by miles we mean Portland, Maine, to San Diego far apart. The owners are not backing down from their position that they are losing money, that salaries are the problem and that the basic economic structure of the league’s salary structure has to change.

Players on the other hand will point to this summer’s free agent spending spree and the fact league revenues were up slightly despite the recession and that player salaries were actually down slightly last year.

What will not happen at next week’s meeting in Manhattan is the show of star power seen in the last face-to-face meeting in Dallas All-Star Weekend. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and a host of others sat at the table. This time the stars will not be there, which the owners see as a sign of little solidarity among the players, Berger said. LeBron got his payday, he doesn’t care anymore will be the perception.

The perception among people on both sides is that a lockout is basically inevitable. The owners are going to use this recession to try and force a more favorable deal for them on the players. The players look at this summer’s spending spree and think the problem is not the system but the owners’ inability to control themselves and not spend lavishly on players.

I don’t remember playing tonight. I didn’t play. Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job. If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. If a doctor botches operations, he’s not a doctor anymore. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.

Like it or not, motivation is part of an NBA coach’s job.

But that’s also precisely what Popovich is doing.

His credentials dwarf any other coach’s. He can play to his own ego and absolve himself of responsibility – and players will seek to please him. His years of success have earned him the ability to motivate this way, a method no other coach could use without alienating his team.

So, why not hold Motiejunas to what became a four-year, $31 million offer sheet once matched? Houston got something in return – a later trigger date on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ 2017-18 salary. Originally, that decision had to be made March 1 – which would’ve meant dropping Motiejunas from the team this season to prevent his salary from counting next season. Now, the Rockets can make that call in July, after this season is complete.

The following two Julys, Houston will also have a choice on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ upcoming salary or dropping him.

Essentially, Motiejunas is signing the most lucrative Hinkie Special in NBA history. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Rockets have Motiejunas at an affordable rate. If he struggles or his back injuries flare up, they can drop him with little to no penalty.

After they backed themselves into this corner, Motiejunas and his agent, B.J. Armstrong, didn’t do so bad. Considering the similarity between this contract and the Nets’ original offer sheet, it seems Houston helped Armstrong save face after a bungled free agency (which is easier to accept when you’re adding a talented reserve to a formidable team).

But for how little is guaranteed and how much control the Rockets hold over the next four years, wouldn’t Motiejunas have been better off accepting the $4,433,683 qualifying offer?

This means Motiejunas can’t sign with the Nets, who signed him to the original offer sheet, for one year.

I bet it also means Motiejunas and Houston have agreed to a new contract. Otherwise, why release him from the offer sheet? The Rockets would be giving up a tremendous amount of leverage out of the goodness of their hearts – unless this is just a prelude to a new deal with Houston.